After a lengthy debate Tuesday, the Indiana House of Representatives approved a road funding bill, something lawmakers from both political parties identified as a top priority in the 2016 General Assembly.

But legislators are split on how to pay for road improvements, and the measure passed on a vote of 61 to 36, with several Republicans joining Democrats in voting no.

The House Republican bill pays for road maintenance by increasing the gas tax four cents a gallon and shifting all sales taxes on fuel to roads.

Most of the gas sales tax currently goes to the state’s general fund, so to cover the gap, the bill would raise the cigarette tax $1.

Democrats oppose the tax hikes. Representative Dan Forestal (D-Indianapolis) says, if Republicans hadn’t spent the last several years reducing taxes, including the corporate tax rate, they could find road funding sources elsewhere.

“It’s going to be very difficult to explain to your constituents why their taxes are going up to fund these roads,” he says.

“Indiana’s the crossroads of America,” he says. “Our economy is growing in Indiana and our infrastructure to move those products is crumbling. It is time for us to lead and get our roads back in shape.”

Republicans in the House Roads and Transportation Committee Wednesday rejected an attempt by Democrats to remove all tax increases from the House GOP road funding plan.

The Democrats’ amendment – offered by Rep. Dan Forestal (D-Indianapolis) – would have shifted all money from the sales tax on gasoline to road funding; only a small portion of that revenue source currently goes to roads.

During testimony Wednesday for the House GOP’s road funding plan, local government leaders applauded the potential influx of money to their communities, but taxpayers’ advocates weren’t happy with the source of that new money-higher gas and cigarette taxes.

All three mayors who spoke at the hearing said they support the bill.

Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott says with a current budget of $6 million a year, the city is still $3 million short of being able to overlay and patch what they already have. And he says the bill's dollar-for-dollar matching grant program would help.